The latest round of County Championship matches begin on Sunday with four games from each division taking place. The competition takes on a different complexion with the international summer about to begin.
As yet there have been very few results in either division with the weather unable to stay true for a full four days but hopefully that all changes this week and we can get stuck in on some matches with an end result without the rain affecting them.
Division One
Hampshire are the side not in action in this division this week and they probably won’t mind that too much with their captain being away on England duty. That leaves us Nottinghamshire vs Warwickshire, Somerset vs Yorkshire, Surrey vs Middlesex and Durham vs Lancashire.
I have a feeling Lancashire might get some joy at Durham but the loss of Jimmy Anderson is a blow although Neil Wagner has been in great form so far this season but I’ll tentatively swerve that. Middlesex would have been an option at Surrey but Compton and Finn are missing so I don’t like them so much either while Yorkshire should be too good for Somerset but again there isn’t any value there.
I do like one in the other match though at Trent Bridge in a match which you could say is between the have England players and the have nots. Nottinghamshire have lost Alex Hales, Stuart Broad and now Jake Ball to England duty while Ian Bell wasn’t called up and if he recovers from a hamstring niggle as he is expected to Warwickshire will be at full strength.
Warwickshire didn’t bat brilliantly last week but they might not need to bat that well here because Ball and Broad have been focal points of Nottinghamshire’s attack and you just wonder how they will cope without them. Warwickshire attack has been going really well. Keith Barker is in good form and he gets absolutely solid support from a really good depth in that department.
In a week where there isn’t a lot I fancy I can’t resist a punt on Warwickshire at evens. This is the kind of match champions come through and I expect them to be real challengers this season.
Division Two
Leicestershire are the team who don’t play in this division. They are entertaining the tourists over the weekend so they sit this round of fixtures out which leaves us with Essex vs Derbyshire, Gloucestershire vs Glamorgan, Northamptonshire vs Kent and Worcestershire vs Sussex.
If the weather stays away the latter match should be a corker with both needing the win to get up and challenge Essex in the early table and with only one side going up this season it is a match neither can afford to lose. If Sussex’s attack were going a little better I’d side with them now Moeen Ali is away but the price probably reflects their performances so far.
In truth there isn’t a price that tempts me in anywhere in this division. Gloucestershire were tempting but their batting has just tailed off a wee bit so maybe it is better to wait until Michael Klinger arrives before getting stuck in there.
As there isn’t anything I fancy I’ll keep my powder dry and use it more wisely in the T20 which begins later in the week.
Tips
WON – Back Warwickshire to beat Nottinghamshire for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Ladbrokes
Back them here:
